Transport networks of today need to provide cost-effective transport for various types of client information, including multi-service traffic ranging from synchronous traffic (e.g., DS-1, DS-3, and STS-12) to asynchronous traffic (e.g., IP, Ethernet, and ATM). Traditionally, service providers support such services on transport networks based on synchronous optical network (SONET) or synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH). Service providers specify the services that they agree to furnish to their customers in contractual service level agreements or SLAs. Often, SLAs provide terms and parameters against which the performance of the services can be measured. Accordingly, service providers want to monitor the services that they provide to ensure that each service is performing in accordance with its corresponding SLA.
Networking technologies, such as SONET, offer service providers operations, administration, and management (OAM) capabilities for managing the performance of the transport facility. However, service providers are unable to use these current OAM capabilities to monitor services across a network because of the diversity of OAM service management techniques. Some OAM management functions occur at high-level packet switching levels such as the network layer (i.e., layer 3 or L-3) and the data link level (i.e., layer 2 or L-2), some occur at low-level transport switching such as the physical layer (i.e., layer 1 or L-1) and the optical layer (i.e., layer 0 or L-0), others occur at network-edge service control points, and still others occur at core network elements. Additionally, service providers need to be able to support link-based, end-to-end path based, and application-specific OAM models. Presently, no single technique exists for transporting, mapping, and accessing relevant service-specific OAM information across the network. To offer multi-services, service providers need a single OAM solution that can merge different technologies, such as connection-oriented and connectionless service management technologies.
Further, a service can traverse the networks of multiple carriers. However, OAM information typically does not transmit across handoff points between network carriers. As a result, OAM information is not reliably transmitted from one end of the network to another, making it impossible for a service provider to guarantee the performance and reliability of its service across the network.
Current OAM techniques also do not provide service providers with access or control points. As a result, OAM information is not accessible at the network locations where the service provider can accurately measure and charge for its service. In fact, some service providers, such as wholesale carriers, do not have a service edge that it can access to monitor a service. Another consequence of a lack of control points is the inability of service providers to isolate and segment faults adequately for commissioning and reliability purposes. In general, OAM information and control are not segmented at demarcation and hand-off points, such as at user network (UNI) and network-to-network interfaces (NNI). There is a need, therefore, for a system and method that enable service providers to monitor the performance of their services more effectively than current OAM techniques.